One type of earplug designed for low cost production, consists of an elongated foam body with a tapered front end for insertion into the ear canal, and with a flared rear end that projects slightly from the rear of the ear canal. The earplug body often is formed of a slow recovery foam that can be compressed to a small diameter for deep insertion before returning to its original diameter. After use, the projecting rear end can be grasped between the thumb and index fingers to pull the earplug out of the ear canal. People who have not used such an earplug many times before, are often concerned that they will not be able to remove the earplug and are reluctant to insert the earplug deeply enough and hold it in position for about a half minute while it expands, to assure good sound blocking.